Thermocompression (TC) gang bonding is taught in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,000,842 and 4,063,993. Both relate to what is known as tape automated bonding (TAB). An assembly tape is provided with a succession of metal finger patterns. The inner ends of the fingers form arrays that mate with the bonding pads of semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuit (IC) chips, that are to be contacted. The outer ends of fingers are arrayed to either form package pins or to mate with a packaging structure or other mounting device. In TAB the finger array is first registered with respect to the IC bonding pads and the fingers are TC gang bonded for a permanent connection. Ordinarily, a heated bonding tool, called a thermode, is pressed against the ends of the finger to be bonded with sufficient pressure to deform the metal. Sufficient heat and pressure is employed to create reliable bonds. However, as TAB production rates are increased, the semiconductor devices receive less individual processing time. At a rate of 3600 per hour the total cycle time is only one second. In this time the tape must be advanced halted and precisely located relative to the semiconductor device. Then the hot thermode is pressed against the fingers to achieve bonding. Thus a bond, which must produce some metal deformation, is accomplished in a fraction of a second. Clearly an impact is involved. As the TAB production rates are increased still further such impact becomes more pronounced. One problem that develops at high rates is the fracturing of the semiconductor. It is well known that silicon is a brittle, easily fractured material. As is pointed out above, the impact is accompanied by a substantial temperature rise so a thermal shock is also present. These factors conspire to set upper productivity limits for TAB machines operated using a single thermode. Accordingly, a non-impact bonding operation would be preferred.